Laura and I stopped in yesterday very briefly. Mom is still speaking clearly, and without as many momentary delays in her speech. Her right hand constantly moves around her chin and mouth, a problem I think I've mentioned before. The motion is certainly not completely voluntary. Mom says it is a "nervous habit." If you ask her if her chin hurts or itches she says "it doesn't really hurt," but she picks at it, and at her upper lip, constantly.
We had a mitten restraint on her for a while, but the back of the mitten is a plastic mesh, and she was using that to rub at her face as well, so it's removed. Laura filed down her nails yesterday during our visit.
Today I visited with her again today, and at first, I let her use her wandering right hand to hold the phone. She tried for a little while, but was waving it about rather than holding it still, and eventually inadvertently turned off the speaker function. She was also trying to use it, as she tries to use any object, to whack herself in the chin. So this experiment was short-lived. We've requested a psych consult, hoping that they have some insights on such repetitive motions.
She wasn't very talkative today, not like yesterday. I read her a couple of letters that had come in, and we made a few phone calls, but our conversation was a little on the scant side. I played some for her, and when I stopped (thinking I'd put the guitar away,) she asked why I stopped. So I just played today more than anything, between instinctive and foolish attempts to explain to her that she really should stop picking at her face. It's silly to try to explain, but on the other hand, it's hard not to. You give her the old stern voice, you give her the cajoling tone, it doesn't matter. She's not completely aware she's doing it at all.
In any event, she didn't seem to be in bad spirits, just... what should I say? Fidgety.
Mark called tonight, and he and Lea will be visiting with us tomorrow -- it should be a pleasant surprise for Mom.
D
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